Company:Lucid Games
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Bizarre Creations |
| Founded | 21 February 2011 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England |
Key people |
|
Number of employees | >150 (2021) |
| Parent | Lucid Entertainment Group (2020–2023) Lightspeed Studios (Tencent) (2023–present) |
| Website | lucidgames.co.uk |
Lucid Games Limited is a British video game developer based in Liverpool. The studio was founded in February 2011 by former employees of Bizarre Creations, which had been shut down a week earlier. Notable games developed by Lucid Games include Geometry Wars 3 (2014) and Destruction AllStars (2021).
History
Lucid Games was founded by Mark Craig, Andy Davidson, Chris Davie, Nick Davies, Craig Howard, Jeff Lewis, Paul Morrissey, Pete O'Brien, Pete Wallace, and Chad Wright.[1][2] Most of them had previously been employed at the developer Bizarre Creations in various capacities, including Wallace as development manager and O'Brien as senior producer.[3][4] Following the poor commercial performance of its game Blur, Bizarre Creations' parent company, Activision, had sought to sell the studio but was unsuccessful in finding a buyer, consequently announcing in January 2011 that it would shut down the studio.[4][5] According to Wallace, Bizarre Creations' staff had been aware of impending layoffs but had not expected the studio to be closed.[5] Bizarre Creations was disestablished on 18 February 2011, leaving 200 people unemployed.[6] Lucid Games was subsequently formed in Liverpool on 21 February 2011.[7] Wallace and Davidson became the new company's managing director and commercial director, respectively.[5] The establishment was supported by Liverpool Vision, a local economic development company that sought to keep Bizarre Creations' talent in the Liverpool area.[3] Wallace stated that he intended for Lucid Games to "get back to the levels of innovation and creativity at Bizarre [Creations] that made Activision so keen to acquire it" and hoped to employ up to fifty former Bizarre Creations staff.[5][6] Within its first year, the company grew from eight employees to twenty-eight and moved from a temporary office to a permanent one in the Liverpool city centre.[7]
Lucid Games hired Brian Woodhouse, Bizarre Creations' former studio director, as head business development in July 2016.[8] By 2019, after eight years of expansion, the company had grown past 100 employees.[9] In October 2020, Lucid Games and its separately held publishing arm, Lucid Publishing, were organised as subsidiaries of Lucid Group Entertainment.[10] By June 2021, Lucid Games employed 150 people.[2]
In July 2023, Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios acquired Lucid Games.[11]
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) | Notes | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Travel Bug | PlayStation Vita | Sony Computer Entertainment | ||
| Pixel Smash: Christmas Edition | Android, iOS | Lucid Games | |||
| 2013 | Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 – A Bump in the Night | Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Vita | Sony Computer Entertainment, Lucid Games | ||
| 2K Drive | iOS | 2K Sports | |||
| Santa's Magic Sack | Android, iOS | Lucid Games | |||
| 2014 | iFruit | PlayStation Vita | Rockstar Games | Port development | |
| PlayStation Vita Pets: Puppy Parlour | Android, iOS | Sony Computer Entertainment | |||
| Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 2 – Field Trip! | Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows | Lucid Games | |||
| Geometry Wars 3 | Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Activision, Aspyr | |||
| 2015 | Goat Simulator | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Double Eleven | Port co-development | |
| Happy Happy Donuts | Android, iOS | Lucid Games | |||
| Grand Theft Auto | Android, Fire OS, iOS | Rockstar Games | Port development | ||
| 2016 | We're Going on a Bear Hunt | Android, Fire OS, iOS | Channel 4 | ||
| 2018 | Switchblade | PlayStation 4 | Lucid Publishing | ||
| 2021 | Destruction AllStars | PlayStation 5 | Sony Interactive Entertainment | ||
| 2023 | Sea of Thieves | Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Xbox Game Studios | Support Studio |
References
- ↑ "About us". Lucid Games. 7 January 2013. http://www.lucidgames.co.uk/about-us.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wallace, Chris (23 June 2021). "DEVELOP/JOBS: Lucid Games – "One of the stand-out things about Lucid for me is how I instantly felt part of the team."". https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/develop-jobs-lucid-games-one-of-the-stand-out-things-about-lucid-for-me-is-how-i-instantly-felt-part-of-the-team/.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Martin, Matt (25 February 2011). "Former Bizarre Creations staff form Lucid Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-02-25-former-bizarre-creations-staff-form-lucid-games.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 O'Connor, Alice (25 February 2011). "Bizarre veterans form Lucid Games". https://www.shacknews.com/article/67630/bizarre-veterans-form-lucid-games.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Yin-Poole, Wesley (25 February 2011). "Ex-Bizarre devs form Lucid Games". https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-25-ex-bizarre-devs-form-lucid-games.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bradford, Matt (26 February 2011). "Ex-Bizarre Creations staffers form new UK studio, Lucid Games". https://www.gamesradar.com/ex-bizarre-creations-staffers-form-new-uk-studio-lucid-games/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Happy Birthday Lucid". Lucid Games. 21 February 2012. http://www.lucidgames.co.uk/blog.aspx.
- ↑ Riaz, Adnan (25 July 2016). "Brian Woodhouse Becomes Lucid Games' Head of Business Development". https://hardcoregamer.com/news/brian-woodhouse-becomes-lucid-games-head-of-business-development/218245/.
- ↑ "Meet the best places to work in the UK video games industry – Best Mid-sized Companies". 20 September 2019. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/best-places-to-work-2019/best-mid-sized-companies.
- ↑ "Lucid Entertainment Group Limited – Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2021". Lucid Entertainment Group. 21 December 2021. pp. 4, 31. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12750278/filing-history/MzMyNDMyNjg5NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (13 July 2023). "Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios acquires Lucid Games". https://www.gematsu.com/2023/07/tencent-subsidiary-lightspeed-studios-acquires-lucid-games.
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